Balanced scoring efforts gives Bulldogs edge over Sycamores for first MVC home win of the season.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Jalen Quinn scored 18 points as Drake beat Indiana State 74-72 on Sunday.

Quinn added five assists for the Bulldogs (8-7, 2-2 Missouri Valley Conference). Jaehshon Thomas scored 16 points, going 6 of 7 from the floor, including 2 for 3 from 3-point range. Okku Federiko shot 6 of 15 to finish with 13 points, while adding eight rebounds.

Ian Scott led the Sycamores (8-8, 1-4) in scoring, finishing with 16 points and six rebounds. Jo Van Buggenhout added 13 points and four assists for Indiana State. Bruno Alocen also had 11 points, six rebounds and three steals.

Thomas scored 10 points in the first half, and Drake went into the break trailing 39-33. After trailing by eight points in the second half, Drake went on a 7-0 run to narrow the score to 41-40 with 18:23 left in the half before finishing off the victory. Quinn scored 12 second-half points.

Drake Team Notes
—Drake improved its overall record to 8-7 including a 2-2 record in the Missouri Valley Conference.
—Drake shot 52.5 percent from the floor (31-59), including 59.3 percent (16-27) in the second half, improving to 4-1 when shooting 50 percent or better from the floor.
—Drake forced Indiana State into 14 turnovers, scoring 19 points off those miscues.
—Drake tied a season low with just four made free throws.
—There were 10 lead changes and seven ties in the game.
—Okku Federiko scored four points in 46 seconds including the go-ahead basket with 1:08 left to give Drake a 73-72 lead.
—Drake rallied from a 39-33 halftime deficit to improve its record to 2-7 when trailing at half.
—Drake had five players score in double figures for the sixth time this season
 
Drake Player Notes
—Senior transfer guard Jalen Quinn led a balanced scoring attack with 18 points, including 12 in the second half, while collecting two steals.
—Senior guard Jaehshon Thomas, who missed Drake’s previous game against Illinois State because of illness, had 16 points including 10 in the first half.
—Okku Federiko collected 13 points along with eight rebounds and two steals.
—Eli Shetlar, making just his second start of the season, scored 11 points. Shetlar began his collegiate career at Indiana State in 2023-24.
—Redshirt junior guard Andrew Alia chipped in with 10 points and a team-high nine rebounds which was also his career high.
—Wilguens Jr. Exacte, who had started in 13 games, suffered a foot injury earlier in the week and missed his first game of the season.
 
The Series
—Drake won its fourth straight game against Indiana State, improving its lead in the series to 54-49 including a 35-13 record in Des Moines.